to the national press club. my name is mark. i'm a broadcast journalist with the associated press, and i am the 104th president of the national press club. we're the world's leading organization for journalist and we're committed to our profession's future to our programing of events such as this and working to foster a free press worldwide. for more inflation about the national press club, i invite you to take a look at our website, press.org, and donate to programs offered to the public through our journalism library. .

donna is a reporter for "usa today" and a past president. mary eisenhower is president and ceo of people to people international and a granddaughter of dwight d. eisenhower. she is also a fellow --

we will skip over the podium. we have our speech -- speakers' committee chair doing a fabulous job this year. we will skip over or guest speaker for a moment. we have a contributor for "newsweek." robert is the research director for cnn. jonathan is producer-director of the "lieutenant dan band: for the common good" film. rachel re is a tv review were -- reviewer out of london. now, round of applause. our guest speaker today is widely recognized for his humanitarian work on behalf of u.s. military troops.

he is an award winning actor. he now plays a detector, the star of the cbs-tv series "csi: new york." he starred in "apollo 13 ""and "the green mile." it is worth noting in the nation's capital and steps away from the truman lounge that he played a president in the television movie "truman," as well as a former alabama governor, george wallace. it is his academy award nominated role in the 1994 oscar-winning film "forrest gump" that endeared him to so many fans. he played thomas tanks -- tom hanks' platoon leader. he is here to announce the launch of a national

organization to support military service members, veterans, first responders, and their families. it is the culmination of years of support for the u.s. armed services and their families. he has served as the host of the national memorial day concert on the new national mall and he has made more than 40 uso tours and over 150 parents is to entertain our troops at military bases worldwide from iraq to a afghanistan and guantanamo bay. he travels with his group, which you have heard about. the cookies on the table are a tribute to that. they're the focus of a feature- length documentary, "lieutenant dan band: for the common good." it has a website. people can watch that. part of the proceeds will benefit the gary sinise foundation. while dismissing the speculation that he is running for political office, but we might follow up

on that today, our guest has been an outspoken critic of bureaucracy and red tape that delays service members and veterans from getting care. he has said the nation is not doing enough to help disabled veterans and troops wounded in iraq and afghanistan. he has called on the government and private sector to spend more to the veterans provide victims of post-traumatic stress disorder, give them some help. he is a star who moonlights as a soldier's advocate. our speaker has questioned his own industry at times for producing films that portray our troops in a sometimes negative light. in partial response, our speakers served as executive producer for the documentary "brothers at for," about soldiers on the front lines in iraq and the impact of that on families. among his many awards and honors, he is the recipient of

the presidential medal of freedom, the nation's second highest civilian honor, one of only two actors to get that, 110 people in our nation's history to receive that come and he received the bob hope excellence in entertainment award and the harry s. truman good neighbor award. as co-founder of operation international children, he has helped children were troops are deployed. here today to tell us about his foundation, his plans to of veterans, u.s. service members, as well as their families, please give a warm national press club welcome to lt. dan himself, gary sinise. >> thank you. i can cut my speech short now. [laughter]

i would like to thank the members of the national press club for the invitation to speak today. it is a great honor to return, having first had the opportunity as a national spokesperson for the american veterans disabled for life memorial foundation, and then again in support of the documentary film "brothers that were." i think of the people that have stood in this spot, are national heroes, great figures of history, prime ministers, presidents, an actor from "csi: new york." friday night, 9:00. it is my shameless plug for the show. not that there's anything wrong with being an actor, of course, but my being here does demonstrate how those of you in our national press corps paid brought attention to the world around us, eager to hear from all people from different points

of view, and that is good for america. thank you again. i would like to ecologists you people here today. last night, of course, the press club had the opportunity to screen a documentary film about my band, our troops, first responders, many wonderful people who support them, and as of july 4, the award winning documentary "lieutenant dan band: for the common good" will be available online at ltdanbandmovie.com for only $4. the film makers have offered to donate one out of every four dollars to the newly created gary sinise foundation, which honors and serbs are defenders. -- serves our defenders. [applause] i want to thank the director and his wife, and producer debra. [applause]

you and your team have worked very hard and i wish you all the best with the film. i am proud to be a part of it. thank you both. congratulations on the july 4 launch. while i may be charting the course for my new foundation, it takes all hands on deck to keep the engine running and the ship steaming ahead. this mission could not be accomplished without the support of a fantastic team. some of them are here today and i want to say thank you to stay seawolf, ben robin, eric matthews, and especially our administrative director, judy otter, who has worked around the clock to make the launch of the gary sinise foundation a success. thank you all. [applause] i am also thrilled to have one of our foundations founding contributors and advisory board members, tony, here today.

he is a good friend and is an executive producer of "lieutenant dan band: for the common good." thank you for your friendship. tremendous support over the years. it is great to have you here. thank you. [applause] i would like to also acknowledge two dear friends today, mary eisenhower and art wilson. i have had the privilege of working with people to people international and the disabled american veterans for many years, and i am honored to have you here today. thank you for coming. [applause] as i confess, i am an actor. i have been blessed with good fortune that my career was lifted to a level where i enjoy some recognition. i can gauge the interest and energy of other people and i can find an audience for my ideas.

growing up in a working-class home in chicago, i have tried to live up to the common virtues that my grandparents and parents based their lives on, hard work, honesty, fairness, generosity, and above all, the love of this great america that blessed them with the freedom to say what they would and choose as they wished. like so many of my generation, for many years, i more or less took that freedom for granted. until september 11, 2001. it was a bright, sunny morning in los angeles. as the television images from ground zero assaulted me, i suddenly understood how vulnerable are great and powerful country truly is. as i came to understand the dark

forces loose in the world, i had a new appreciation for why my folks and their folks treated every day in america as a new beginning. they did not take it for granted, and now, nor could die. i wanted -- nor could i. i wanted and needed a role in helping to face this new national challenge. i watched our military response. our young men and women were able to bear the most extreme hardship, even to the most final personal sacrifice. my heart was with them. having veterans in my family, and having worked with veterans groups over the years, i knew they were where i wanted to put my efforts, to employ such recognition as i had to devote much time and treasurer to their well-being.

so, i was called to greater action, and that journey has enriched my life beyond anything i could have ever imagined. i had intended to give, but in the end, i have received more than anything i've brought to this. like the actors my father and uncles admired, iowa volunteered for the uso, anxious to support the service people. it began by visiting a war zone offering moral support, shaking hands, autographs, taking pictures, but soon, i was visiting the wounded in our military hospitals, and then entertaining the military in

both the u.s. and abroad. over the years, through this work, i have met extraordinary people who have inspired me with their courage and perseverance to get through, no matter what it takes, the worst of times. like my dear friend, the former marine and retired firefighter, john, who on that terrible day lost his two sons when the towers fell, one, john jr., a firefighter, the other, joe, a police officer. it was on my first trip to iraq in 2003 that john and i met and became fast friends. he introduced me to many of new york's bravest at the fdny who have inspired me with their selflessness, their

brotherhood, and their willingness to help others. i am proud to have played a part in the building of the brooklyn wall of remembrances, which honors all first responders killed at the world trade center on 9/11. i am privileged to support the fire family transport foundation. they are some of my most special friends. in november, 2003, i made my second uso trip to iraq. i visited a school where u.s. test -- u.s. troops interacted with local children. the troops had completely refurbished the school and were so protective of the children. this was an inspiration. as soon as i returned, i went to my own children to school and suggested that we put supplies together, school supplies, to send to the troops in iraq for distribution to the iraqi schools.

what started as a grass-roots effort became a permanent institution in 2004, when i co- founded operation iraqi children with the author of "c diskette -- "seabiscuit." it is now operation international children. oic works directly with the military and has delivered over a quarter of a million tickets, half a million toys, thousands of blankets, backpacks, pairs of shoes, arabic-language books, and sets of sports equipment, all of which have been distributed by our troops to the children in conflict areas of iraq, afghanistan, djibouti, and the philippines. [applause]

after hurricane katrina hit the gulf coast, operation international children established the oic katrina relief fund, sending school supplies to the affected area and through our military, we are now reaching out to the children in need all over the world. most recently, taking part in the humanitarian relief effort in haiti. it is my hope that with the help of the newest partner, the newly established gary sinise foundation, this effort can be expanded to support our troops wherever they need assistance in their humanitarian mission. during the early handshake tours to iraq, germany, and italy, i realized my next logical step. i persuaded the u.s. so to let me take a group of missouri -- musicians i played with on a tour so i would not only be

meeting and visiting with troops, but entertaining them as well. wherever i went on these early tours, i would constantly meet service members who did not know me as gary sinise, but immediately recognize lieutenant dan, the character i played in "forrest gump." along with my friend and fellow musician, i formed the lieutenant dan band. in february of 2004, we made our first overseas concert tour to korea, singapore, and diego garcia. since then, we have been nonstop, also doing concerts' in alaska, germany, belgium, the u.k., the netherlands, italy, okinawa, guantanamo bay, and afghanistan, as well as dozens of bases all over the u.s. over 40 uso concert tours in all. i have been on handshakes tour

is four times to iraq, kuwait, afghanistan, germany, italy, and i have had the privilege of support in various organizations through hundreds of personal appearances with and without the band, all in support of our men and women in uniform, and organizations that support them. but as i said, whatever i gave, i was more than amply repaid. i have been allowed to be a part of our amazing military community, to share in their camaraderie in their daily lives, to see these people in some many ways, the best of us, up close and personal. as often as i can, i visit our wounded here at home and overseas. on each of these visits, i am struck by the humility of the young men and women receiving treatment, their courage and

determination, their acceptance and their dedication to our country and their fellow warriors. lending a hand to these brave men and women is truly one of the most rewarding things that anyone can do, and for all they do, and all they have sacrificed, they don't ask much in return. knowing they're not forgotten and that their sacrifice is appreciate it makes a world of difference -- appreciated makes a world of difference. the biggest obstacle is coming to terms with the enormity of the need. for example, in partnership with the tunnel to towers foundation, teh gary sinise foundation is building specially designed homes for three severely wounded service members who have survived losing both arms and

both legs. the first surviving quadruple amputee is iraq war veteran brent and morocco. the effort to build his home began last year with the band in s.i., and i am happy to say that all the money was eventually raised, and the first of these smart homes has been completed. brendan will be moving in soon. [applause] i saw him at the house yesterday. his spirits are high. he is an amazing young man. fund-raising for the second home todd nicely began with the concert in st. louis -- st. louis. we will begin a fund-raising for the third home with a concert in illinois on july 16.

these courageous individuals have given so much, and it is a good feeling to know that there is something we can do to give back to them. they inspire me beyond words. but as i said, the enormity of the need is great. there are many who need our help. also, i am privileged to support and now serves on the board of snow ball express, which creates hope and new memories for the children of military fallen heroes who have died while on active duty since 9/11. thousands of children have lost a battery mom in these wars -- a in these wars.om i am proud that this year, along with american airlines veterans

initiatives, and hundreds of volunteers, our foundation will once again be a part of this worthy effort to support our goldstar children. there is hope for the warriors, an organization formed by military wives to support wounded u.s. service members, their families, and families of the fallen. our foundation is a proud sponsor of their recent fund- raiser here in washington, d.c. these are but a few of the types of efforts that have kept me busy these many years. while the list of heroism is endless, the needs of these heroes is just as long, and how we address this is a major national issue. as calvin coolidge said, the nation which forgets its heroes will itself be forgotten. the sad reality from vietnam is

that we learned the hard way that turning our backs and ignoring our warriors weakened our nation. the hope is that we learn from this, and we will strive to do better. in a recent speech to the young cadets at west point, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, admiral mike mullen, expressed his fear of a disconnect between the american people and its military. he said, "our work is appreciated. of that i am certain. there is not a town or a city a visit where people do not convey to me there great pride in what we do. even those who do not support the wars support the troops. but, i fear they do not know lots. i fear they do not comprehend the full weight of the burden we carry or the price we pay when

we return from battle. -- battle." as someone who can visit troops in remote places around the globe and has had a firsthand look at their skills, dedication, and sacrifice, i hope to continue to address that disconnect by sharing what i have experienced and expressing my belief in how fortunate we are all to have such an exceptional military force in the dangerous and unpredictable world we live in. as journalists, you know such a dark forces are loose in our day. it is our military that deny us these enemies and preserve our freedom often at the nearest possible cost. it does not end with the battle. countless millions throughout the world know our military from the other face of america's power, bringing hope and

humanitarian relief wherever and whenever it is needed. without favor, to friend or foe alike, when there is a national disaster, japan, indonesia, haiti, it is not china's aircraft carriers that race to the rescue with massive amounts of aid and manpower. it is the united states military. it is critical that we do what we can to care for the needs of our active duty and retired service members and their families. surely, that is the least our country can do for those who risk their lives every day defending our freedom. it cannot be temporary. that is why all my various efforts have been pulled together through the formation of the gary sinise foundation. our motto, serving honor and

need, has as its mission statement "to serve our nation by honoring our defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need." we do that by creating unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen, and build communities. it is my hope that by beginning this fund-raising and program- generating entity, we will be able to do more to honor the men and women who serve by meeting their needs. i did not serve, but i have never been more rewarded than when i am with the military community and see the smiles a little visit can bring. it is a way to give back to those who give so much. i will never again take for granted how our freedom much of

-- must be protected on a daily basis, minute by minute. history teaches there have always been those who would rob us of our freedom in order to empower themselves. what i have shared to -- shared with you today our feelings, the leaks, and aspirations that lie far outside the interests of my chosen profession. so while my currency as a successful actor may have gotten me here, i am first and foremost a citizen of this marvelous and remarkable united states of america. today, you gave me the use of your immensely valuable megaphone. i hope i used it to address issues of concern to all of us, because everything we are, especially during this, you, who

who defend the first amendment, everything is predicate on freedom. i trust we all take great pride that we have so many exceptional people serving out there to protect just that. as winston churchill reminded us during world war ii, "peace and tranquillity would only be restored if everyone did their bit." he considered his bit no more important than that of the elderly woman knitting socks for soldiers. that is my aspiration, to do my bit, no matter how large or small, and i know that in this, i am no different than any of you, or any americans. we are a great people. we can rise to this challenge, meet it, and as we have always

done, master it. those marvelous people who serve our freedom and comfort deserve nothing less. thank you. [applause] >> i do not want to stand in the way of an entertainer who could get further applause. i know we want to have the opportunity to have some questions answered.

thank you for those remarks. we will follow up a little bit. in this audience, when a working journalists and the general public. people have been involved in the general cause you have been involved in. talking about your foundation, i wonder if you can talk about how that is structured. tell us about your staff, where it is located and what the specific mission of the foundation involves. >> as i said, i have been busy trying to support a lot of different organizations, going out and raising money. somebody like me can show up and draw some attention to an organization. i can donate my band. i can only be so many places throughout the year. i that to the point where i said, i spent weekend after weekend, month after month, year after year trying to support as

many efforts as i can. i am either going to pull back or ramp up in some way. how can i pull back when i am committed all over? the natural thing to do was to commit an entity that can draw from multiple resources and died -- and guide people who are looking for ways to support a reputable organization. if people do not know which one to go to, we are in a fundraising effort ourselves. we will guide that money to the right place. if you are looking for organizations i have been supported over the years, by reputation with all of the organizations i support are listed on my web site. we want to wrap up -- ramp up

our efforts. we are located in los angeles and we are beginning this effort right now. >> if you can get congress and the united states to do just one thing for veterans, what with that one thing be? >> cut through the red tape and get down to business. it takes a lot to get your benefits. [applause] >> let's take it a little more micro than that. when you see needs that are not being met -- it is your mission to try to match resources with neat's whether it is the government or you -- what -- needs whether it is the government or you -- what is the government or you missing out

there? >> we have 3 million living disabled that dress. 1.5 million -- we have 3 million living disabled veterans. the government can only do so much. i realize that. we want to encourage organizations to get out there and do more. for example, you should not have to go through all of this red tape to get your benefits. i have a vietnam veteran brother-in-law who crashed his helicopter and never apply for his benefits because he got home from the unknown. he disappeared into the system. he had some problems. we worked with them. we started taking him to the veteran's administration. it took them years for a guy who crashed his helicopter to

cut through the red tape and get his benefits. we were trying to search through records 30 and 40 years ago. what about the returning veterans from everything after vietnam? we are trying to do everything we can. looking back 40 years ago compared to what is happening today -- there is a big difference. there are lots of wonderful organizations that have popped up. we learned some hard lessons from vietnam about how not to treat our service members. we can never do enough. we can always try to do a little bit more. >> this is a variation of the same question. what is the most troubling deficiency you have seen in the treatment and assistance given returning soldiers?

is there one particular thing that stands out? >> returning soldiers who are injured -- >> whether they are finished with their service or whether they come home rather rapidly. >> there are all kinds of stories. i know good stories and i know some not so good stories. let's say you are a returning veteran. your service is going to be over when you get back. you have been in the mountains of afghanistan. you saw 10 or 15 of your brothers killed before your eyes and many more wounded. you come back. there is a domestic problem at home. you get out of the service and you are despondent. you disappear. we have a lot of homeless veterans who are just trying to get away from it all. we have to reach out to them and

do what we can for them. then we will have our hospitals. walter reed, bethesda, balboa. these are great hospitals. with all of the problems we had a while back with all of these returning wounded at walter reed, if i were injured, i would want to be at walter reed. they have an exceptional staff there. i think they were overwhelmed at that time. "the washington post" discover some of those issues. we are taking good care in the hospital of our wounded veterans. what happens when they get out? what happens to a man who has lost both arms and both legs? what happens to somebody like that if the community does not reach out and take care of them? i would encourage communities all around the country to reach out to returning veterans.

seek their families out. how can you help them? especially if they are wounded for life. that community effort is critical to how they are going to live the rest of their lives. >> if a person knows up a soldier or family in need, should they try to alert a foundation like yours as to that need? what can we do about and enjoy -- an individual situation when someone needs particular help? >> that happens all the time. people reach out to the foundations that have established themselves. communities can take responsibility. you have somebody who is in service to our country who is disabled. they go back to a small town somewhere in the united states, a small community. they are disabled or life. they may not be able to get a

job. that community should take care of that wounded warrior. find that wounded warrior a job. we need to find more of our warriors and returning veterans jobs out there. it is important that we give back to them and tell them your service, in service to our freedom, mean something to us. we are going to embrace you and put our arms around you and take care of you. >> last year, the defense department reported that there were 1100 suicides among military service members over the course of four years. that was an average of one every 36 hours. is the military doing enough to address the problem? what can the private sector do? >> this is a serious problem. i am involved with some mental health issues. i work collaboratively with the tri-west health-care alliance.

they take care of the health- care of 22 states west of the mississippi. he is committed and actively involved with the military to address the problem of suicide. i am in the stress-relief business. i am in the morale-boosting business. we spend a lot of time with medal of honor recipients and going to bases and reaching out to their families and trying to communicate to them that there are alternatives to taking your life. sometimes they do not think there are. that is a serious problem. it is important. he met its -- the message that we send out to our military people that we visit is always to reach out to somebody who knew recognize is in need. those signs are clear. we need to try to do a lot more.

it is a serious problem. there are a lot of people dedicated to this. we have to do a lot more. >> then there are the people who have passed away. just this week it was reported that the fbi is doing an investigation of alleged wrongdoing at arlington cemetery, perhaps a financial wrongdoing and the loss of remains at the cemetery. what is your reaction when you hear a story like that? is it true that that would serve to undermine morale in hostile territory? >> i do not know that much about that particular situation. i would think it would. i want to mention the tragedy

assistance program for survivors. bonnie started this wonderful program to work with the families of our fallen heroes. it is an incredible organizations that reaches out as soon as the family is notified that their service members, their family member, has been killed in action. they do wonderful, wonderful work and are focusing on making sure those killed in action, their families, are well taken care of and get what they need. that is a difficult business back -- that bonnie is in. she has a personal relationship with that because she lost her husband. bonnie is right over here right now. i am pleased to have you here today. [applause] thank you. >> by and large, the work that

is done in the private sector is useful and good. there are occasionally some storage in the private sector that do not turn out so well. "rolling stone" magazine talked about a foundation organized by musicians that had to be close. how are you going to ensure that your foundation is operating as efficiently as possible and it is a cause that people will find beyond the lure of your personality that they want to give to an organization like that? >> those screwy musicians with their foundations. [laughter] i do not know how to address that except by saying that,

personally, i will speak about my work. i have had my boots on the ground for quite a long time. i have dedicated every spare moment to this work in the last 10 years and prior to that with the veterans and disabled veterans and vietnam veterans. i am not someone who was going to say -- i would stake my reputation and character on its. i would not tell you to donate to my foundation and then make a mess of it. i am just not going to do that. that is just not me. [applause] lieutenant dan band -- for the common good, the film, goes back to a story line and about in the

vietnam war. you alluded to the fact that vietnam veterans were not always welcome home. is a heartwarming for you now to see how the country has changed over time? leaving aside the politics of individual engagement, people seem to have almost universal support for the u.s. military? >> we can never do enough for our veterans. we can always try to do a little bit more. what has been heartening is to see how many vietnam veterans have gotten involved with our active duty service people. it is partially healing for them to say, i am going to take care of the soldier returning home and make sure nothing will happen to him. i am it will take an active part in that. i have met hundreds of vietnam

veterans who are doing just that, reaching out. we learned some hard lessons from what happened to our vietnam veterans. it is wonderful to see, as admiral mullen said, wherever he goes, if people do not agree with the war, they say, you are pretty great. i am support the troops -- i support the troops. if you are disconnected to the military, if you do not have a personal relationship with somebody in the military or a friend or family member who is serving, life goes on. the pizzas are being made, movies and theaters are happening. gas is a little bit higher and we are still going about our business. people are working and making a living. we have some job problems in the country, but life goes on for a lot of folks. the military families are the ones feeling been sacrificed and the sting of this the ticket,

but right now. 0.5% of our citizenry serve in the military. under 1% are defending the country. that is a small percentage. we owe them. it is a good feeling to take care of these freedom fighters. they are our defenders. i have been involved with that sense for many, many years, through democratic and republican presidents. it is about the fact that three of his precious. 19saw on september/1 11 what guys with box cutters can do. god forbid they get a hold of something more serious. that is not fantasy. that is real stuff.

there are people who live 24/7, 365 days a year wondering how they can destroy the united states. thankfully, we have people, 24/7, 365 days a year trying to prevent bad things from happening to the united states of america. we all saw what happened on september 11. we felt that vulnerability, that fear of what is going to happen. there was anthrax going through the mail. we thought, what is going on? what is happening to our country? where is the military? what are they going to do? they are still doing it. so we have to back them up. >> a questionnaire says you are one of a small handful of prominent celebrities who have supported republican candidates. my sense is that you do not wear your party politics on your

sleeve. is it hard to be a republican operative in the entertainment industry? [laughter] >> where did you come up with that? who is question is that? i support democrats. i do what i can. i am a citizen of the united states. i can voted or who i want. i grew up in chicago. it is daley country out there. i just try to pass the message that we live in a free country. we can say what we want and choose as we wish and we can stand up for what we believe in. >> how successful have you been -- or the question should be have you tried to engage other entertainment people in because of our soldiers in the military? how successful have you been if you have?

>> i have taken different people on different trips. remember the actor who played bubba in "forest gump." he went with me to afghanistan. i took clint howard down to camp pendleton. dana carvey performed for the troops at fort hood. i set up a concert down there and we went down there and did a big concert. recently, i did a concert at camp pendleton. dana came down again and performed for the troops. i am not afraid to call anybody. i think they can help the troops, i will do that. >> people are interested in the creative side of your work as well. you play president truman and

you have been floated as a possible candidate for able variety of offices. have you thought of getting into the trenches? >> i am and actor. we get paid to learn lines and get our mark. >> don't hit this market. >> i never thought about any of that. >> what american international figure which you like to consider playing since you have played politicians in the past? or have you even thought about that? >> i have not thought about playing another political figure. i have done a few of those. it was fun. i would like to play jimmy doolittle. a great american hero and a medal of honor recipient. i have had a privilege to be in

the middle of honor society. i have worked with the medal of honor society since 2006. i have worked -- i have met some amazing citizens. i have travelled around the country to deliver good messages to our troops. when i see the medal of honor recipients and see the troops listening to these guys, they can make a good impact. jimmy doolittle received the medal of honor. great american story. there are some great american heroes i would consider trying to play it i thought i could play them. >> you have the ongoing television series work. is there anything you are working on at the moment in motion pictures? >> sometimes that is not up to me.

[laughter] i am happy to say that "csi: new york" was picked up for another year. we will be back soon. that will keep me busy as of july 20. one of the things i do hope happens is that people go to this lieutenant dan band -- for the common good website. it is an interesting thing that is happening. they are going to launch it on line. it will be available all around the world to people who want to go in and put in $4 and watched the movie. it is not a download. it is a pay-per-view movie for about one month. you can see the people i interact with every year.

it is an entertaining film. it is a moving film. you can see some of the people i am supporting. it kept me in the moving game to actually participate in this,. film. we hope a lot of people go to that. it is a cause-driven marketing campaign. generously, they have offered to donate one out of every $4 to the gary sinise foundation. we are going to give that back to the troops and the first responders. >> one question about lt. dan before i asked my last question. some people start to resent a world that they have become associated with. was there ever a time when you got a little irritated with that

association? have you been good with it all along? >> i had to get used to it. it was something that happened. when you are in a movie like "forest gump" was so popular. i realize one month after i did the film, i got a call from the disabled american veterans. that is how i got involved. they wanted me to come to their international -- to their national convention. i was playing a vietnam veteran and they like the way i did it. it was a moving experience. it was something i will never forget, standing in a room with thousands of disabled veterans and having them applaud. those who could stand up for

standing up. they were applauding before playing a disabled veteran. they all wanted to call me lieutenant dan. i started going overseas and do we tours for the troops and a related to me as this military member. the story of dan is a resilience story. someone who goes to the understanding and your of having his military career taken away from him. he goes through that understandable anger and through the love of a friend who reaches out and pulled him up, he stands up again at the end of that movie. he is strong, he is successful. he has moved on with his life. prior to "forest gump," we had not seen a vietnam

veteran portrayed that way, someone who could move on. something about that resonated with the military community that i interact with every day. how could i say, do not call me that? [laughter] no. the character is a lie for them. that is ok with me. -- the character is alive for me. it is not a bad thing. it is a good thing. >> we are almost out of time. before we ask the last question, we have a few housekeeping things to take care of. tomorrow, we are in our pre- fourth of july feeling of patriotism. we will have the nasa administrator here. he will discuss our continued commitment to leadership and human spaceflight as well as nasa also plans to extend human

presence. mark kelly will be at the head table for that event. july 13, the owner of our hockey and basketball teams in washington will be here. we will talk about that aspect of his life. as you may know, you have been here before. there is one to be a little twist. we typically like to present you with a two token of our appreciation, which is the npc coffee mug. i will hand you back in case you might have broken the other one. plenty of service personnel thrilled by the experience of making videos with you all throughout the world. [laughter]

that is not what i plan. as if on cue. it can stay on the floor. often, you are out there with the sunlight beating down. i thought lieutenant dan needs a national press club hat while he is performing. [applause] how about a round of applause for our guest speaker today? [applause] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] >> thank you for coming today. i would like to thank our national press club staff for organizing today's